How to make a difference through policy-relevant research? This was the question the Citizens' Pact for South Eastern Europe and ESI asked participants in the recently held two-days training seminar on June 22nd - 24th. The seminar introduced participants to the research methodology ESI has developed in the past eight years to inspire them to apply a similar set of questions and techniques to understanding economic and social trends in their own society. Twenty carefully selected participants from Serbia, working for international organisations, local and national institutions and NGOs took part. We are looking forward to seeing the emergence of a new, young think tank in Novi Sad soon.

Alan Grant is an Irish photographer who travelled extensively in the Balkans and other countries and regions of the world. Thanks to him, ESI is able to show fascinating pictures of the Balkans: the facades of Tirana, the painted mosques of Travnik, the fabulous old houses of Plovdiv and the spectacular blue of water - dark in the Bay of Kotor, emerald in the river valleys of Bosnia, deep blue in Ohrid, twinkling in the Aegean Sea and on the Bosporus.

Jonathan Lewis lives between London and Istanbul. He moved to London and spent many years studying photography and now specialises in photojournalism, documentary photography and commercial work for a wide variety of private and commercial clients in the UK, Europe and Turkey. His work has appeared in a number of magazines and publications and is used on the ESI website as well.